Maïwen

Maïwen is a modern Breton name, often considered a diminutive or variant of the name Mary. The name Mary itself has a long and complex history, deriving from the Hebrew Miryam, which has several proposed meanings including 'sea of bitterness', 'rebelliousness', or 'wished-for child'. In Breton, 'Maï' is a common diminutive for Mary, and '-wen' is a suffix meaning 'white', 'fair', or 'blessed'. This combination gives Maïwen a distinct Breton flavor and a meaning often interpreted as 'star of the sea', connecting it to the Latin Stella Maris, an epithet for the Virgin Mary.

The name gained some prominence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly in France, partly due to the popularity of French actress and director Maïwenn Le Besco. While traditionally more common for females, its modern usage has seen it occasionally applied to males, contributing to its unisex classification.